New Way to Treat Broken Ribs

A new surgical technique and a new device are helping to smooth the progress of repair and facilitate pain relief and healing in people with debilitating rib fractures.

Surgeons in the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU, Portland, OR, USA) trauma/critical care program are challenging the decades-old practice of not fixing rib fractures. In a first-of-its kind pilot study, the surgeons hope to identify people most at risk of prolonged pain and disability from broken ribs. To be eligible for the rib fracture surgical repair study, participants must be 16 or older and have a rib fracture confirmed by x-ray or a computerized tomography (CT) scan within 10 days of injury, and be registered at OHSU.

Participants will be surveyed over a period of six months to measure their overall health; the dosage, frequency, and identification of pain medications; and whether they've returned to work, with or without restrictions. The researchers hope to identify subsets of people who respond better to surgical repair than nonsurgical therapy and to develop standard criteria for treatment.

"Historically, physicians have been taught that nothing can be done to fix a rib fracture,” said John Mayberry, M.D., principal investigator of the study and associate professor of surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine. "Based on findings from our previous research, we are convinced that current, traditional nonsurgical management of rib fractures does not facilitate pain relief or a speedy return to normal activity. We believe new strategies, including a minimally invasive surgical method we've developed, will alleviate pain and reduce disability for individual participants.”

The researchers have invented a new rib fracture plating system, known as a U-plate, which could better facilitate rib healing. Once implanted, the U-plate, which is made of titanium and resembles a U-shaped hook, bridges the fracture, which helps promote and expedite healing, and helps prevent further injury. The U-plate has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is distributed by Acute Innovations (Hillsboro, OR, USA).



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